Submarine mine.



, G. E. ELIA.

SUBMARINE MINE.

APPLICATION FILED Juurus. 1917.

Patented Mar. 4,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

'3. E. ELIA.

SUBMARINE MINE. APPLICATION man JuLY3.1911.

Patented Hm'. 4, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- s PATENT orrIoE.

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO VICKERS LIMITED, 0F LQNDON, ENGLAND.

SUBMARINE MINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

Application filed July 3, 1917. Serial No. 178,367.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GIOVANNI E. Ema, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at NewYork' city, 'in the county of New York,

State of New York, have invented certain I has been launched and the parts thereof approach or reach the sea bed, means being provided for controlling the paying out of the cable so as to regulate the depth of immersion at which the flotation chamber will be anchored beneath the surface of the y Water.

- According to the` invention a Weightis provided which isnormally held attached 'to the mooring cable 'and isreleased at a pre- .determined point. in the ascent of the flotatsm chamber, whereupon said Weight de- 'Scendsnnd actuates a device for arresting ,the unwindngorpaying out ofthe moor- .cable To this end there is provided at a' 'suitable position on the mooring cable a i a position at or about the desired depth ofweight slidablylmoimted on a vsleeve or tube attached to the, cable and -fitted with a hysure acting on its diaphragm, at any depthy below the'V desired depth of anchoring, retains the weight connected to the cable but when the fiotation chamber has ascended to anchoring, the reduced Water pressure allows the hydrostat to act and free the weight, which thereupon: Slides down the mooring cable and actuates means which stop the furtherunwinding or paying out of the cable. Suitable means are' provided for preventing the hydrostat from becoming operative untllafter-the flota-tion chamber has commenced tosepara'tefrom the anchor.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect the same will now be described more The said hydrostat is so con- {ict-ation chamber after the anchor reaches the sea bed.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on a larger scale showing the mine as a Whole. p Fig. G is a' vertical section of the said hydrostatically controlled device shown on i a. still larger scale.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 6 with certain parts removed, and

Fig. 8 is a vertical section (with certain parts omitted) taken appproximately on the line XY of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a vertical cross section through the anchor at right angles to Fig. 5 showing the drumwvinch of the mooring cable and its locking device.

Fig. 10 is an end view of the said locking device in locked position.-

A is the mine body or flotation chamber, B is the anchor, and C is the plummet. D is the mooring cable and E is the mooring cable drum. F' is a short chain which connects the plummet tothe spring controlled locking lever G. H is the hydrostatically controlled device, I is the sliding weight and J is a pivoted lever on the anchor B which lever is actuated bythe. weight I, when the latter is released by the 'hydrostatic'ally ccntrolled device H. K is' the device for rendering the hydrostatically controlled device susl H inoperative until after the anchor and the flotation chamber reach the sea bed.

The hydrostatically controlled device i comprises a hollow box-like casing 1 which part, a locking plate 3, and bolts 4. 5 is a diaphragm forming part of the hydrostat and having a rod 6 extending through it, the Said rod bein acted upon at its outer eX- tremity by a elical spring 7, the inner eX- tremity being connected to a pivoted lever 8.

Under the influence of the spring 7 the lever 8 tends to move about its fulcrum 9 but is rnormally prevented from so doing until the flotation chamber A has ascended vfrom the anchor-B, to a positionat or about the desired depth of anchoring beneath the sur-` face of the water, by the pressure of the seawater which enters the casing 1 through openings 10 and acts'on the side of the diaphragm opposite to that on which the spring 7 is situated. The sliding weight I .is

".fmounted on the lower portion of the tube 2 and is locked against movement by a pivotedV 4lever 11` one end of which'engages beneath a 15 chamfered flange 12 on the weight I` and the other end of' which engages a shoulder or recess 13 at the upper end of the lever 8. 14 is a helical spring which bears upon the upper end of the lever 8, the tension of which can be adJusted as desired so as to vary the moment of release of the lever 8 by means ot' a jregulated device 15 provided with an index v 16. The level' A8 is locked against movement until the flotation chamber and the anchor reach the sea bed by the aforesaid device lx which comprises a locking bolt 19 which engages the. lower extremity of the lever 8 and normally locked to the casing 1 by a shear r.theanchor and isiiormally held out of engagement "with the toothed rim Q7 of' the mooring cable, drinn by a spring detent 28,

'-oomprising a pin which is normally held in locking engagement with an opening in the 1 late 28 b s urine' nressure.

. .V e l During the descent of the mine tothe sea bed, the plummet C holds the lever (l in en- 4 gage'ment with the toothed rim 27 of' the f spring reaches lthe sea bed its'weight is removed from the lever C and the spring 29 disein i gages the said levei (l and releases the winch cabledrinn against the influence of' the 29.1Immediately the plummet "drum .E (Figs. "2, 3 and 4). Owing to its "buoyancy the flotation vchamber A then scparates from the anchor and the mooring cab-le yfI) is paid out, preferably under the control of a hydraulic brake (not shown). The ten- -lsion'placed on the cord 21'tlieicafter shears vvthep1`n2() and withdraws the bolt. 19 thus '.'liberatin;,r`- the lever 8' -and releasing the h vdiostatically controlled device. lVhen the 4flotation chamber has ascended to a position at or about the desired depth beneath the, surface ofthe water the reducedwater pressure on the diaphragm 5 allows the spring 7 to move the rod4 6 inward, thus rocking the lever-18 about its fulcruin 9 and disengaging the'V same from the lever 11, which then no4 mooring cable. y

2l. A submarine mine comprising afflotalonger acts to support the1 weight l'so that the latter is released and slides down the mooring cable by the action of gravity until it is arrested by striking tlie'lever J (see Fig. l). The shock of impact displaccs the spring detent 28 which supports the arm :26 from the opening in the plate 28, and forces the f'ree end of' the arm '26 into engagement with the toothed rim 27 ofthe is required to be anchored beneath the siiiface of the water. .c lVhat I claim and desire to secui'c by Letters Patent of the United States ist-'.- 1. A submarine mine comprising a flotation chamber or mine proper, an anchor, a mooring l cable. connecting said flotation chamber and said anchor. paying out gear for said mooring cable. meansf'or releasing the flotation chamber from the anchoraf'ter the mine has been launched and tlieparts thereofl approach or reach the sea bed, a. weight normally held attached to the mooringcablel means for releasing said weight at a predetermined point in the ascent ot' the flolitipn chamber, and means actuated by said `weight for arresting the continued unwinding-or paving out 'of the mooring cable. u t 2. submarine mine. comprising a flotation chamber or` mine proper; an anchor` a mooring' cable connecting vsaid flotation chambel and said anchor, paying out gear for said mooring cable.v means for-releasing they flotation chamber from the anchor ,after the mine. has been launched and the parts thereof approach f oi" reach the csca bed; a weight normally held ittachcdtothe mooring cable. a hydrostatically controlled dc vice for releasing said weight at a predetermined point in the. separation of the flotation chamber and anchor.V and means actuatcdiby said weight for-arresting the unwindingor continued paying out of the tion chamber or mine propel'. an anchoijqa mooring cable connecting said flotation :chamber and said anchor. paying out gear for said mooring cable. means for releasing the flotation chamber from the anchor after the mine has been launched and thc parts thereofl approach or reach thc sea bed` a lweight normally held attached to thc. mooring cable, a h vdi'ostatically controlled dcvice for releasing said weight at a predetermined point in the separation of the flotation chamber and anchor, means actuated b v said Weight. for arresting the unwinding or continued paying out of the mooring cable, and means for. rendering the hydrostaticallv controlled device inoperative until after the flotation chamber has commenced to separate from the anchor.

4. A submarine mine comprising a flotation chamber or mine proper, an anchor, a mooring cable connecting said flotation chamber and said anchor, paying out gear for said mooring cable, means forreleasing the flotation Ychamber from the anchor after the mine has been launched and the parts thereof approach or reach the sea bed, a weight normally held attached to the moor- 'ing cable, a hydrostatically controlled device for releasing said :weight at a predetermined point in the separation of the flotation chamber and anchor, means' actuated by said y weight for arresting the unwinding or continued paying ont of the mooring cable, means 'for rendering the hydrostatically controlledl device inoperative until after the flotation chamber has commenced to separate from'the anchor, and means for -enabling the hydrostatically controlled device to be mitially set to release the weight at any predetermined depth.

5. A submarine mine comprising a flotation chamber or mine proper, an anchor, a mooring cable connecting said 'flotation chamberfand said anchor, paying out gear for said mooring cable, means for releasing the flotation chamber from the anchor after the .mine has been launched and the parts thereof approach or reach the sea bed, a 'Weight normally held attached to the mooring cable, a hydrostaticallv controlled device for releasing said Weight at a predetermined point in the separation 'of the flotation chamber and anchor, said-hydrostatically controlled device comprising a flexible sprim,a controlled diaphragm and two pivoted levers, one of said levers retaining the weight in a fixed position on the. mooring cable and the other of said levers acting to lock the Weight retaining lever against movement until the said diaphragm is diplaced by its spring overcoming the pressure of the water when the flotation chamber in its ascent arrives at or near the predetermined depth at which it is to be anchored below the surface and means actuated by said Weight for arresting the unwinding or continued paying out of the mooring cable.

6. A submarine mine comprising a flotation chamber or mine proper, an anchor, a mooring cable connecting said flotation chamber and anchor, paying out gear for said `Inooring cable, means for releasing the flotation chamber from the anchor after the mine has been launched and the parts thereof approach or reach the sea bed, a weight normally held attached to the mooring cable, a hydrostatically controlled device for releasing said weight at a predetermin -tl point in the separation of the flotation chamber and anchor, said hydrostatically controlled device comprisinga flexible spring controlled diaphragm and two pivoted levers, one of said levers retaining the weight in a fixed position on the mooring cable and the other of said levers acting to lock the weight re` taining lever against movement until the said diaphragm is displaced by its spring overcoming the pressure of the water when the flotation chamber in its ascent arrives at or near the predetermined depth at which it is to be anchored below the surface, a spring cont-rolled regulating device cooperating with one of' said levers for determining the moment when the hydrostatic-ally controlled device will act and said, weight will be released, and means actuated by said weight for arresting theunwinding or continued paying out of the mooring cable. 7. A submarine mine comprising a flotation chamber or mine proper, an anchor, a mooring cable connecting said flotation chambe and said anchor, paying out gear for-said mooring cable, means for releasing the flotation chamber from the anchor afterV the mine has been launched and the parts thereof approach or reach the sea bed, a weight normally held attached to the mooring cable, a hydrostatically controlled device f'or releasing said weight at a predetermined point in the separat-ion of the flotation chamberand anchor said h drostati- 7 cally controlled device comprising a flexible spring controlled diaphragm and two pivoted levers, one of said levers retaining the weight in a fixed position on the mooring cable and the other of said levers acting to lock the weight retaining lever against movementy until t'he said diaphragm is displaced by its spring overcoming the pressure of' the water when the flotation chamber in its ascent arrives at or near the predetermined depth at which it is to be anchored below the surface, a spring controlled regulating device col'ierating with one of said levers for determining the moment When the hydrostatically controlled device Will act and said weight will be released, a locking device which holds said hydrostatically controlled device in an inoperative position, said locking device being caused to release the hydrostatically controlled device when the flotation chamber separates from the anchor after the parts of' the mine reachy the sea bed, and means actuated by said weight for arresting the unwindng or continued paying out of the mooring `cable.

8. A submarine mine comprising a flotation chamber, or mine proper, an'- anchor, a mooring cable connecting said flotation chamber` and said anchor, paying out gear the flotation chamber from the anchor after the mine has 'been launched and the parts thereof approach or reach the sea bed, a weightnormally held attached to the mooring cable, and a pivoted arm in the anchor which is normally held out of engagement with the paying out gear for the *mooring cable until released by the impact of the falling` weight. whereupon it engages with said imying out gear and arrests the further unwnding or paying out of the mooring cable.

S). A submarine mine comprising a flotation chamber or mine proper,` an anchor,

A a mooring cable connecting' said flotation chamber and said anchor, paying out gear' tor said mooring' cable, means for releasing the flotation chamber from the` anchor after the mine has been. launched and the parts thereof approach or reach the sea bed, a

`Weight normally held attached to the moor-` ing cable, a hydrostatically controlled device for releasing said Weight at a predetermined point in the separation of the flotation chamber and anchor, and a pivoted arm in the anchor which is normally held out of engagement with the paying out gear for the mooring cable until released by the impact of the falling Weight whereupon it engages with said paying out gear'and arrests the further unwinding or paying out of the mooring cable. l

In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature. l

- GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA. 

